'Hanoi Hilton'

HANOI (AFP) - A Singaporean-Vietnamese joint venture has been licensed to build a five-star hotel and office complex on the site of the notorious 'Hanoi Hilton' prison, an official newspaper reported yesterday.

Burton Engineering of Singapore and Hanoi Civil Construction are partners in the dollars 33.2m ( pounds 23.7m) venture, the weekly Vietnam Investment Review said.

Hoa Lo prison was dubbed the 'Hanoi Hilton' by the US pilots jailed there in the Vietnam war.